August at Casa do Jardim da Estrela

August 2026 programme at Casa do Jardim da Estrela, a cultural facility of Lisbon City Council open to the city and to the people of Lisbon.

The space hosts playful and cultural activities, as well as a library service and a xylotheque with a collection of wood samples. The published information also points to the month’s programme in PDF format.

Entry Entry Entry Entry Entry Lake Bandstand Basilica of the Star Entry Voices from the people here at the House Information and bookings Jardim Guerra Junqueiro | Jardim da Estrela Praça da Estrela | 1200-667 Lisboa | Tel.: 218 174 987 E-mail: [email protected] Opening hours Tuesday to Saturday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Accessibility Ground-floor building Adapted bathroom Follow us instagram.com/casadojardimdaestrela Programme informacao.lisboa.pt/agenda agendalx.pt Library Service Casa do Jardim da Estrela offers a library service that is part of the Lisbon Libraries Network. It operates during the House’s opening hours and provides a selection of books for all ages in the areas of sustainability, environment and ecology. Xylotheque The Xylotheque of Casa do Jardim da Estrela presents an organised collection of wood samples, with scientific, educational and cultural aims. A Teatro em Cada Bairro is a network with 6 facilities Avenidas Rego, Avenidas Novas Boutique da Cultura Carnide Casa do Jardim da Estrela Estrela Cineteatro Turim Benfica Coruchéus Alvalade Quinta Alegre Charneca, Santa Clara Discover them in the City! illustration: Rita Cortez august — 2026 I remember the first time I went to Casa do Jardim da Estrela; it was a winter’s day, bright and mild, and seen from the outside it seemed to have come out of one of the stories in the Fábula catalogue (perhaps the school from the book Ana dos Cabelos Ruivos…), not a building in this city. Inside, the good impression remained. A beautiful, quiet and well-kept space, with books, newspapers and magazines available, an interesting exhibition on display and kind, helpful people welcoming me. I immediately felt at ease, and it was always like that every time I returned there. Once the ideas and expectations about what the “Fábulas Contadas” would be were aligned, the willingness to host these monthly storytelling sessions with our books was immediate. After that first meeting, there were many opportunities for conversations, meetings and close collaboration with the team that works in mediation with the children’s audience. Everyone’s dedication and involvement is remarkable. For example, Noélia (with whom I have spent the most time) imagines, cares, dreams, builds, sews with needle and thread, and imagines on paper and in her head many activities, putting body and soul into the activities that are planned. But the readers who visit Casa do Jardim da Estrela are also special. In the adults’ area there are above all people on their own, enjoying the silence to read or study, but in the children’s area pairs are common: grandmother and grandson, father and daughter, mother and baby, sometimes even larger groups. I have noticed that the families who go there take the children unhurriedly. They let them stop to look at ducks, smell flowers, climb trees and feed crumbs to the birds along the way before going in. And, when they arrive, they linger to look at exhibitions, leaf through books, listen to stories, make drawings and play with games created from materials collected in the garden. Lucky children, these. The people and the building, the exhibitions and the activities, the friendliness and the professionalism, the organisers and the public, the books and the gatherings. It is hard to choose what I like most about this House, where I always feel like coming back to, but, as in everything, what makes the biggest difference is truly the people. Much admiration for this space of culture, community and affection. Much gratitude for the hospitality. It is good to know that a house inhabited by books is not short of visitors, but I am surprised that there are still people who do not know it. What are they waiting for? This is a unique, relevant, welcoming and discreet place, dedicated to books and readers, in the heart of Lisbon. Rita Cruz Editor of the Fábula Collection (Penguin Random House)

1 Aug | Sat | 10:30 am GUIDED VISIT Green Ways of Seeing By João Canilho Santos A walk through Jardim da Estrela, aimed at raising awareness of the biodiversity present, followed by a guided visit to the exhibition “A Beleza Está nos Olhos de Quem a Ve-rde”. Age 12+ | Duration: 2h 1 Aug | Sat | 11 am WORKSHOP Small Universes in Motion By Maria Terra Object theatre presents small scenes inspired by Jardim da Estrela and the House, evoking trees, animals and stories from the building’s past; each family builds a wooden box in which small figures and sets can move. Families with children aged 6 and up | Duration: 2h 1 Aug | Sat | 4:30 pm WORKSHOP Creative Image Collage By Monica Rochlin Collage is the art of turning the familiar into something new. Every cut and every overlap is an opportunity to experiment, without rules or judgement – simply for the pleasure of discovery. Age 16+ | Duration: 2h 4 Aug | Tue | 6 pm BOOK LAUNCH Compendium of Illustrated Popular Sayings By Otília Schijns-Ramos and Hugo Schijns Popular sayings are being used less and less, especially by young people. This book aims to help spread them in an enjoyable and playful way. Free admission | Age 12+ | Duration: 1h30 6 and 13 Aug | Thu | 10:30 am READINGS FOR CHILDREN Stories in Arms By Noélia Fernandes A sensory, auditory and tactile experience in which a story is the pretext for a narrative thread shared by the children. Families with children from 18 to 36 months | Duration: 45m 6 | Thu | 4:30 pm WORKSHOP Waiting to See – Photography with Vegetables By Margarida Ferra We combine paper, pigments brought from the kitchen shelf and plants from the Garden, and prepare photographs that take time to develop. While the sun does its part, we read and talk about waiting and about how we feel time moving faster or slower. Families with children aged 8 and up | Duration: 1h30 7 Aug | Fri | 4:30 pm WORKSHOP Percival’s Story – Mindfulness for Families Through the story of Percival, the little dog, a character from Sally Devorsine’s children’s book, the session addresses the importance of training the mind and mindfulness meditation